Manga Xanadu

A couple of tweets came across my Twitter timeline making some unfavorable comments about a panel at SDCC 2016; “Comics vs Manga: Which is Better.”  The panel was supposed to have a “panel of experts” in both comics and manga, and looked to compare things such as getting started, diversity, plot, sales, and fandom. I didn’t attend the panel, but I respect the commentor’s opinion. And the description of the panel didn’t make me think I should doubt them.

It’s Viz’s 30th Anniversary, but they’re bringing the party to SDCC with guests, panels, and exclusives for fans to enjoy.  Highlights I wish I could go to are the Pokemon Adventures manga creators panel, the 30th Anniversary Shikishi and Retrospective Displays, and of course the exclusives! I considered the pre-release of Yona of the Dawn, but I was disappointed by the last pre-release I got, so I think the  Art of Pokemon Adventures would interest me more, just so I can get the convention bag. Cause I gotta get them all!

On Friday, July 10, 2015, the Wil Eisner Comic Industry Awards were announced during San Diego Comic Con. Five titles and six volumes were announced in the Best US Edition of International Material – Asia, essentially the manga category, but only one title could win. The award went to Drawn and Quarterly’s release of Showa 1939-1944 A History of Japan and Showa 1945-1953: A History of Japan by Shigeru Mizuki. The title faced some tough competition as it went up against Viz Media’s All You Need is Kill, One-Punch Man, and Master Keaton, Vertical’s In Clothes Called Fat, and Yen Press’ Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki. The volumes of Showa that were nominated and won covered Japan’s history from World War II to the aftermath and Occupation. The series was nominated last year for both an Eisner and a Harvey, for the first volume, 1926-1939. I haven’t had a chance to read any of these volumes yet. My love of history has them on my want list, but my wallet has told me to wait. I must admit I was hoping Master Keaton would win. I do love that series so much, and the first volume was a great showcase for who…

This year SDCC was held earlier than usual. It is usually in the last two weeks of July. This year, it was the second week in July, one week after Anime Expo. Manga publishers were at SDCC too, with only a two-day break before the five days of geeky madness began down south. While they had more announcements, they weren’t quite as numerous or as ground breaking as AX. Mostly.   Viz started the con again with their panel on Thursday. The only new announcement they had was that they would be releasing a print edition of Gakkyu Hotei: School Judgment. The series originally ran simultaneously with Weekly Shonen Jump and sadly ended with it as well. Written by Nobuaki Enoki and drawn by Takeshi Obata, the series followed Abaku Inugami, a defense attorney at his elementary school. Under the new School Judgement system, students accused of crimes are now tried by their peers, and Inugami is the best for the defense, but when the prosecutor is the cute and rich Hanazuki, things might get tough. I enjoyed the few chapters I’ve read in WSJ, so I will be looking forward to the first volume set to come out in February,…

  This week I look at all the manga announcements (or lack there of) from San Diego Comic Con 2013. http://archive.org/download/MangaDomeEpisode16/MangaDomeEpisode16.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Viz Media panel was the only manga related panel I chose to go for a few reasons.  One, we were short on time since we were commuting, Thursday only had two that held any relation to manga, and none of industry, and I wasn’t impressed with the Shonen Jump Panel last year.  It was all cheer leading, and no real news.  And they tricked me this year!  Last year the Viz industry panel was on Thursday, thus one of the impetus to change to going on Thursday.  Instead, they put both the Viz panels on Friday, and nothing on Thursday!  Why SDCC??

Well, we got through another day, filled with even more people and more lines.  Yesterday, we had to spend an hour in line and just barely got to see the Dexter panel.  Today, it took 30-45 minutes on the shuttle to get to the convention center.  We got there at 10:15, and was 30 minutes early to see the Stargate panels. We were able to get in only because they were the first panels of the day, and we still were in the back.  We waited for only 1/2 hour for the Viz Media panel, but were still at the back, and was totally denied from going to the MST3K 20th Anniversary panel.  Over an hour before the panel, and the line was already filled to capacity for the room.  We REAAAAALLLLLYYY wanted to go to that one.  We’ve been fans for over a decade!

Well, we survived the first day of the Con.  It was crowded, as I predicted, and it’s only the first day!  Moving through the Exhibit Hall was difficult at times and nearly all the panels had a minimum 1 hour wait, and you still weren’t guaranteed to get in.  We ended up missing the Doctor Who/Torchwood panel, so instead we spent most of the day in the Exhibit Hall.  We took lots of pictures, and I’ll be posting some throughout the weekend. I stopped by most of the manga publishers tables, and I have to say, I’m pretty disappointed.  Especially Viz.  Last year, they had lots of manga for sale, so I could catch up on titles that I had fallen behind on.  Heaven knows no one brings manga to a comic con.  Who would want to buy comics at a Comic Con?  This year, they decided to just push certain titles (Black Lagoon, One Pound Gospel, Vampire Knight, Bleach Collector Edition and the Shonen Jump Fifth Anniversary Collector’s Edition).  It was a real letdown.  They had other things going on at their booth.  There was wall for people to post post-its with messages for Tite Kubo, a basketball hoop…

To the San Diego Comic Con.  It’s our annual summer vacation trip that we share with 40,000+ other fans.  Unfortunately is always feels like ALL 40,000 are in the Exhibit room at the same time…  Oh well.  Hopefully this year there will be better crowd control.  And we go for the panels just as much as the shopping.  At least Brian and I do.  The girls have DSes to keep them busy.  So Doctor Who, Stargate, and an MST3K reunion!  Whoo Hoo!  (Yes, I’ve been an MiSTie since CC’s second season.)  And of course the manga.  There’s certainly plenty of it spread around the Exhibit room.  Panels are sparcer this year than I remember last year. Anyway, if we can get the WiFi in our hotel room working, I’ll post some thoughts Thursday and Friday night.  I know there’s going to be Wifi at the con, but I’m not lugging my laptop around in addition to all my purchases.  It’s not like there won’t be plenty of others giving you the scoops.  I’ll just do the commentary afterwards.  I can’t wait to see what Tokyopop’s “viral marketing” is going to be.  They were looking for volunteers who were going to…